


Bursting In Air

by Baamon5evr



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-06
Updated: 2016-07-06
Packaged: 2018-07-21 20:55:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7404205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Baamon5evr/pseuds/Baamon5evr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam's sister calls with concern for her brother as Fourth of July draws near which leads to cute confessions, reminiscing and just general fluff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bursting In Air

**Author's Note:**

> *A little late on the obligatory American Airlines Fourth of July fic but I'm here.*

Sam had been awake for a while but he had felt content right where he was in bed with Steve’s arm thrown around his waist in their room which they somehow managed to maintain at the perfect temperature so it wasn’t too cold for Steve who got bad flashbacks of the crash and not too hot for Sam whose nightmares were worse in the heat. The last few missions the Avengers had gone on went well. He had recently managed to convince Vision to wear some clothes, he was pretty sure Rhodey had gone on a successful date with new badass on the block Monica Rambeau per Sam’s suggestion, Natasha had gotten a new hairdo that seemed to put a new pep in her step, Wanda had gone a straight week with no nightmares at all and Steve was generally smiling more and more every day. Sam’s team was good which played a large part in Sam feeling good. Especially as the day he was half-dreading was fast approaching.

He was broken from his thoughts by a buzzing sound. It sounded like a phone was ringing. He couldn’t tell if it was his or Steve’s but nonetheless he felt way too comfortable where he was to even think of moving. Steve’s arm clutched around him tighter, indicating he wasn’t about to move either. He sighed and cuddled closer to his chest as the phone stopped ringing. Steve pressed a kiss to his cheek and nuzzled into his neck as the phone started vibrating again.

“Ignore it.” Steve said lowly. Sam nodded and focused on how the pillow felt just on the right side of hard under his head as the phone stopped vibrating. The room was silent for about two minutes before the vibrating came again. Sam groaned aloud, accepting that his peaceful morning was gone. Steve’s arm slipped off his waist as he slid a little bit away from him.

“It’s your sister.” Sam waved at him as he rolled out of the bed and shuffled towards the bathroom.

“Hey Sarah… yeah, he’s in zombie mode right now.” Sam heard before he walked inside. He handled his business and brushed his teeth before shuffling back out of the bathroom. Steve was sitting up propped against the headboard, smiling as he talked to Sarah.

“We saw the pictures and videos on Facebook, they were precious. We’re so proud of him.” Sam looked at him questioningly as he crawled back into the bed and laid back against Steve’s chest.

‘Jody’s graduation.’ Steve mouthed soundlessly at him. Sam nodded in understanding. His nephew had recently graduated from middle school and had given an amazing speech that gave Steve a run for his money in terms of gravitas.

“Well, you know your brother.” Sam rose an eyebrow at that. Steve rose his own back but didn’t elaborate.

“I’ll talk to him for you, don’t worry.” Sam rolled his eyes. He didn’t even want to think about what his sister and his boyfriend could’ve been cooking up in the three minutes he was in the bathroom.

“Have a good day, Sarah. And tell the kids hi for us. Okay bye.” Steve hung up and made a show of replacing Sam’s cell phone on the dresser without jostling him. Sam decided to just bite the bullet and get it over with.

“What did Sarah want?”

“She wanted to see how you were doing. Independence Day is coming up and she was asking about your plans. She doesn’t seem to think that you and fireworks will be a good combination.” Sam sighed with half fondness, half annoyance.

“Before I joined the VA and even after that I didn’t do so well around fireworks.”

“It reminded you of being over there.” Steve said, finishing his thought.

“Exactly. But I got used to it and with everything we’ve been doing as Avengers, fireworks are light in comparison.”

“Doesn’t mean there isn’t cause for concern.”

“She shouldn’t be concerned. Besides, we’re surrounded by forest for miles. I doubt we’ll hear fireworks, even far off in the distance.”

“It’s not that she wants you away from it, she wants us to come with her, Devon and the kids to Coney Island to see the fireworks. She said you did exposure therapy and she thinks that, despite the fact that you’re an Avenger, the little things can still affect us. I agree with her.”

“It’s going to be your birthday, Steve; besides don’t you want to spend the day basking in the America-ness of it all? The American public is expecting you to walk around in red, white and blue with a bald eagle perched on your shoulder and the word ‘freedom’ in bold, capital letters on your forehead, not something as mundane as hanging out with your boyfriend’s family.” Sam said with a smirk on his lips.

“I don’t care what the American public wants me to do and you know I’ve never really celebrated the 4th of July. My parents were Irish immigrants, most of the people in my neighborhood were immigrants too. We didn’t have a use for the holiday and I’ve never been big on my birthday.”

“You’re seriously going to tell me that with all the stories you’ve told me about your mother that she didn’t go all out for your birthday? Not celebrating the Fourth, I can believe, but being the mother of a disabled child, you’re telling me she didn’t cherish every birthday you had?” Steve couldn’t quite fight the smile rising on his face now.

“She’d save up specially for me for months so she could get me a present. It usually wasn’t anything glamorous, maybe a new sketchpad or some fancy pencils or paints, but I loved it every time. For dessert she’d make cranachan with apple upside down cake.”

“Cranachan?” Sam asked curiously. Despite the misconception perpetuated by Natasha that Steve couldn’t cook to save his life, he had a few special recipes in his back pocket courtesy of Sarah Rogers so most of them were traditional Irish dishes. When Steve first came to meet Sam’s family at their annual family reunion, he had brought colcannon, stew and soda bread along with apple amber for dessert. It had scored him major points with all of Sam’s family members, not least of all being Sam’s mother and grandmother, especially since the last person Sam had brought to his family reunion (Riley) had brought cole slaw and well, that didn’t go over well. Sam was still hearing about it to this day. He’d call his brother Gideon up and randomly,

_‘Hey, remember when that crazy ‘Bama boy brought slaw to the reunion? I’ve never seen Mama go from friendly to offended so fast.’_

“It’s sort of like ice cream except not really.” Steve explained, snapping Sam from the rabbit hole of his thoughts.

“Wow baby, that’s so descriptive. You should write a book.” Steve rolled his eyes at the sarcasm and continued.

“You make it with toasted almonds, oatmeal, cream, honey, lemon juice, raspberries and whiskey. I’ll make it for us some time. But I wouldn’t mind spending my birthday with your family. I feel like…” Steve trailed off, his face growing red. Sam looked at him inquiringly.

“I just, I feel like your family is-is my family too.” Sam’s face turned up a little in surprise.

“I’m sorry if that’s forward. We’ve only known each other for four years and been dating for only half of that. That’s not very long by today’s standards, I know. You probably think I’m a creep.”

“No, I think it’s sweet.”

“You don’t have to lie to make me feel better.”

“Hey, no take backs now. Besides Ma didn’t give you shit last time we showed up to her house unannounced on a Sunday and even decided to make her sweet potato pie just for you. If that isn’t initiation to the Wilson clan I don’t know what is. Good luck, you’re going to be regretting this decision come the next wedding in the family when Uncle Erving busts out the ‘back in my day stories’ and the Teddy Pendergrass covers.”

“I think I can manage.” Steve said with a smile before pulling Sam up so they could sit face-to-face.

“Let’s go to your sister’s and go to Coney Island with our family. Even if you think you can handle fireworks, or lack thereof out here, we can do it together.” Sam looked into Steve’s eyes and smiled widely. He really did like the ring of ‘our family’ coming from Steve and if he was by his side, really, what couldn’t he do?

“Well, I heard they did a lot of renovation on the theme park and I guess I wouldn’t mind checking it out.” Steve smiled brightly at him and leaned in for a kiss.

“But…” Sam said, pressing a finger to Steve’s lips.

“I'm totally tell Sarah and Devon your birthday is that day and letting the chips fall where they may after that. Get ready for the jokes.”

“Sam…”

“I promise it won’t be a big thing. It’ll just be us and them and the kids, easy peasy.” Steve looked at him doubtfully but Sam just leaned in and pressed a kiss to his lips in response.

It wasn’t easy peasy. As soon as Sam told Sarah about Steve’s birthday half of Sam’s family wanted to fly in and have a huge birthday bash which Steve vetoed even though Sam could tell the acceptance and the fact that he had a family now after so many years without one following his mother’s death, had really warmed his heart. Sam had managed to stave off the masses with platitudes that they could send their gifts and cards and love but to stay home, they’d see Steve in a month anyway at the next family BBQ.

Ultimately, Steve and Sam had gone to Coney Island with Sarah, her husband and the kids and they got on all the rides and had fun. Sam barely flinched at the fireworks display. Steve held his hand tightly anyway as they stared up in awe at the display with their family, enjoying this day for themselves.

**Author's Note:**

> It's funny, but I don't imagine that Captain America celebrates the day of America's independence. Steve's family isn't American and his neighborhood was full of immigrants so they would not celebrate America's independence.
> 
> I also imagine Sam doesn't celebrate Independence day because it wasn't independence for all anyway, certainly wouldn't have been for Sam if he had been living back then so not his holiday.


End file.
